A retired trawler skipper told a jury he was conned out of Christmas cash by a man in a van.

Gareth Owen allegedly disappeared with more than £7,000 given to him by Leslie Meredith.

The former fisherman had planned to spend the money on buying televisions, DVD players and a computer as Christmas presents.

Mr Meredith, 68, who now runs a charter boat from Brighton Marina, said Owen spoke to him after he left the Comet electrical store in Hove last December.

Owen allegedly told him his name was Joe and that his brother worked for the firm.

Owen allegedly claimed he could get him a 15 per cent staff discount in return for a drink.

Mr Meredith said: "He asked me if I was interested in buying a 42in plasma TV.

"I assumed he had heard me talking to a member of staff in Comet.

"I said I was after a 40in Sony LCD set and a blueray DVD player. He said he could get me a deal because his brother worked there."

Mr Meredith said he gave "Joe" his phone number but wanted to check first to see if he could get what he wanted cheaper on the internet.

He rang his brother David and told him about the offer.

His brother said he was interested in the same items and also wanted a Sony Vaio laptop computer.

Mr Meredith said he arranged to meet Owen at Brighton Marina. He alleged Owen drove him to building society branches in George Street, Hove, and Western Road, Brighton, where he took out the maximum £1,000 at each and repeated the withdrawals during the next two days.

Mr Meredith said he met Owen at the Goldstone Retail Park on December 10.

He took £6,850 with him to cover the £6,730 cost of the electrical equipment and the rest was for Owen's "drink".

Mr Meredith said Owen arrived in a white van with another man and drove around his car several times. He said the behaviour raised his suspicions and he took a note of the van's registration number.

He added: "He told me to go round to the back of the Comet store down the road to check the goods and asked if I had the money. I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out the cash and he grabbed it.

"He said his friend was going to help him load the things at Comet and then they were gone.

"I walked around there and it was deserted. There was not a soul there."

Mr Meredith said Owen phoned to say his electrical equipment had been wrongly loaded on to a Comet van and was on its way to Dartford.

He said he was chasing after it but Mr Meredith said he did not believe him and would go to the police if he was not back within 90 minutes.

He alleged Owen later called and claimed the truck did not belong to Comet but was his.

Mr Meredith added: "He said the truck had been stopped and was being held for using illegal diesel. He said he was being charged £11,000 to get it back and had used my £7,000 to pay some of it.

"He said his father would lend him £2,000 and he wanted me to go to the building society again to get him another £2,000.

"I agreed and contacted the police and tried to get him down to Brighton the next day so we could capture him."

Mr Meredith said he arranged to meet him at Brighton Marina but Owen called twice to change the location.

He was directed to the car park at Wickes DIY store in Davigdor Road, Hove.

Mr Meredith said: "He phoned me again as I arrived there. By coincidence a police car arrived in the car park and he took to his heels. I did not see or hear from him again."

Owen, 28, of Shortgate Road in Brighton, denies obtaining money by deception between December 5 and December 10 last year. The trial continues.